Mobile, containerized dispenser for flowable materials

ABSTRACT

A mobile dispensing mechanism which utilizes a detachable container, which container is moved into place and attached to the dispensing mechanism, thereby avoiding the necessity of unloading the material into a bin or hopper. The flowable material is directed therefrom onto a conveyor and onto a spreader disc for discharge of the flowable material over a wide area, as the mobile unit is moved over the terrain. Provision is made for controlling the rate of flow of the material being dispensed onto the rotating disc. Further provision is made to move the filled container onto the mobile unit and for directing the container from the mobile unit when the material has been depleted.

United States Patent Lang [54] MOBILE, CONTAINERIZED DISPENSER FOR FLOWABLE MATERIALS [72] Inventor: James W. Lang, 4523 Jennings, Wichita Falls, Tex. 76310 22 Filed: Feb. 2, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 7,953

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Polzin ..239/687 X Merrigan ..239/670 [15] 3,655,137 [451 Apr. 11,1972

3,220,740 11/1965 Kavan et a1. ..239/687X 3,304,093 2/1967 Van Der Lely ..239/672 Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Thomas C. Culp, Jr. Attorney-Wayland D. Keith [5 7] ABSTRACT A mobile dispensing mechanism which utilizes a detachable container, which container is moved into place and attached to the dispensing mechanism, thereby avoiding the necessity of unloading the material into a bin or hopper. The flowable material is directed therefrom onto a conveyor and onto a spreader disc for discharge of the flowable material over a wide area, as the mobile unit is moved over the terrain. Provision is made for controlling the rate of flow of the material being dispensed onto the rotating disc. Further provision is made to move the filled container onto the mobile unit and for directing the container from the mobile unit when the material has been depleted.

13 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented April 11, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 JAMES w. LANG INVENTOR HIS AGENT Patented April 11, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JAMES w. LANG 2 HIS AGENT Patented April 11, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 JAMES w. LANG I 'lNVENTOR IS AGE MOBILE, CONTAINERIZED DISPENSER FOR FLOWABLE MATERIALS This invention relates to improvements in mobile, containerized dispensers for flowable material and more particularly to a dispenser which utilizes a removable, reusable and attachable, cartridge type container associated with a vehicle, which dispenser is adapted to normally spread dry, flowable material over the terrain, and which dispenser does not require a hopper, bin, or the like to be refilled with material when the cartridge type container is emptied, but enables the depleted container to be replaced with a filled container.

The present dispenser for flowable materials utilizes a container cartridge in which the materialis transported to the a cation so that it can be picked up by the spreader and moved into place by a boom. When the container is emptied the boom will move the empty container outwardly and a filled container will be picked up by the boom and moved into a dispensing position on the unit.

Various dispensers have been proposed heretofore, but these, for the most part, were relatively large and made of heavy materials, such as metals, which made these unnecessarily heavy and heavy structural members were required to support the mechanism and the hopper or body from which the materials were dispensed.

The present dispenser utilizes a light weight container cartridge, usually of plastic, canvas or the like, by means of which a flowable material such as dry flowable material is transported to the place of use and the dispenser units are each provided with a boom and hoist arrangement to enable the proper handling of the container and the material therein with only a minimum of dispensing mechanism being required. Therefore, the framework and the support wheels, whether on a trailer type vehicle or a motorized vehicle, is light, thereby the present dispenser may be much lighterin weight than the spreaders now in use.

The light weight of the present dispenser enables this to move freely over freshly plowed ground, even though the ground is wet, and would not ordinarily support heavy dispensers of the conventional type.

The present dispenser is shown as being associated with a trailer type vehicle which may be connected to a tractor or to a pickup truck by a power drive shaft, which shaft rotates the spreading disc or discs at the desired rate. The conveyor mechanism is driven by a wheel which frictionally engages a ground engaging wheel of the mobile dispenser so that the conveyor chain for directing the material being spread, as it is discharged from the container onto the rotating dispensing or spreader disc or discs, will spread the material in direct proportion to the rate of movement over the terrain, when the friction drive wheel is engaged-with a ground engaging wheel of the mobile dispenser.

The present invention is so constructed as to enable the container to be removed from the vehicle when the material in the container is depleted and enables another to be picked up at a remote point and moved into place in a minimum of time. Dispensers of this character are used generally for spreading dry granular fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, salt, sand, minerals, or the like, as the vehicle moves over the terrain. These, for the most part, heretofore required a hopper which was usually constructed of heavy metal which necessitated a heavy frame and other machinery incident thereto, to properly operate the spreaders.

The present dispenser is constructed of light weight materials and the container is preferably of plastic or canvas construction which enables the container to serve both as the transport container as well as a dispensing container from which the granular material is fed onto a conveyor chain so the material may be properly dispensed or spread over the terrain by one or more whirling disc-like members. The device is so constructed that it may utilize a movable boom to pick up the container at one place and move it into dispensing position to enable material to be dispensed therefrom. In the case of picking up the filled container by means of a boom, the container is moved into place and is secured in place until it is desired to release the container.

An object of this invention is to provide a dispenser or spreader for flowable material, such as fertilizer, insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, salt, sand, minerals, and the like, which utilizes prepackaged flowable material which may be dispensed directly from the container onto a conveyor for spreading.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-loading and self-unloading boom arrangement, whereby the container may be picked up at a place remote from the place of use and moved into place for dispensing flowable material without physical effort.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boom support which may be raised to support relatively long containers, and when not in use may be collapsed or telescoped into a relatively short space to enable the mobile unit to be moved over the highway with a relative low center of gravity.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a regulating mechanism so as to feed a uniform amount of flowable material onto a spreading disc.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor drive system which is driven in geared ratio to the movement of the mobile unit across the terrain and wherein chains, which connect the friction drive mechanism with the conveyor mechanism are maintained at uniform tension at all times.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fluid actuated system for raising and lowering the boom for loading the filled containers onto the mobile unit for removing the empty containers therefrom.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a dispenser for flowable materials, which are usually dry, and which utilizes containerized cartridges which may be removed when empty and replaced with a filled containerized cartridge without having to transfer the flowable material from a truck or the likeinto a dispensing hopper or bin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a light weight mobile dispenser which has a self-contained loading boom thereon, thereby to enable filled, containerized cartridges to be picked up at a place adjacent to the mobile unit and moved into place thereon for dispensing material onto a conveyor chain as the mobile dispenser moves over the terrain.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a hydraulically actuated boom for the movement of the containerized cartridge.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a regulating mechanism to regulate the quantity of flowable material dispensed in accordance with the lineal travel of the mobile dispenser unit.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide, for the dispenser, a friction drive wheel which may be remotely controlled to positively engage the friction drive wheel with the ground engaging wheel, when in one position, and to positively disengage the friction drive wheel from the ground engaging wheel when in another position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a support member to stabilize the containerized cartridges against lateral movement when the cartridge is supported in position for dispensing flowable material.

With these objects in mind and others which will become manifest as the description proceeds, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate like parts in the several views thereof in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a dispenser of flowable materials with parts broken away and shortened and showing portions of the device in full and dashed outline, to show alternate positions, to more fully disclose the operation thereof;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the conveyor chain for the granular material;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the dispenser with parts broken away and shortened and with parts broken away to bring out the details of construction;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the dispenser, withportions broken away and shortened;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIG. 7 is a view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

GENERAL CONSTRUCTION Referring more particularly to the detailed drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts in the views thereof. The mobile, containerized dispenser for flowable materials is generally designated by the numeral 10, which dispenser has ground engaging wheels 12 journaled on an axle 14 on which frame 16 is mounted. The frame 16 supports structural members 18, which members, in turn, support a hopper designated by the numeral 20.

An open link chain conveyor 22 is mounted on spaced apart conveyor rollers 24 and 26 which are mounted on the respective shafts 28 and 30. The conveyor chain 22 passes beneath a hopper 32, which hopper is relatively short and has relatively low sides as the fertilizer or other flowable material discharged thereonto through a sleeve or conduit 34 is such that a predetermined amount of flowable material will pass out beneath the conduit or sleeve 34 and the angle of repose beneath the sleeve is such that it will not overflow the sides or the end of hopper 32.

The conduit or sleeve 34 is adjustable vertically by means of a yoked lever arrangement 36 which is pivoted to the hopper and to the sleeve 34, so upon raising the forward end 38 of the forked lever arrangement and engaging within a pair of the notches 40 in rack 42, the lower end of the sleeve 34 may be adjusted to any spacing upward from the upper surface of the conveyor chain 22 to the maximum height desired to feed the maximum graduated amount of flowable material onto the conveyor chain 22.

A power drive unit, such as a shaft 44, may be connected with a tractor, pickup truck or the like, or the power unit may be self-contained on the mobile unit 10. The power drive shaft 44, in the present instance, connects with gearing in a bevel gear housing 46, which bevel gear housing 46 is mounted on the frame 16 near the rear end thereof. The bevel gear housing has an upwardly extending shaft 48 on which a disc 50 is mounted for rotation about the axis of the shaft 48. The disc, in the present instance, is shown to be slightly concave to receive the flowable material thereonto, which material is directed outwardly by channel like ribs 52, as will best be seen in FlGS. l, 3 and 4.

A containerized cartridge frame 54 is mounted on frame 16 and extends upwardly. The frame 54 is preferably tubular in construction and has a second frame 56 telescoped thereinto which frame 56 may be extended upwardly to the desired height to support a container or a containerized cartridge 58 above conduit or sleeve 34 when in one position. The frame 56 has a cross member 60 which pivotally mounts an outwardly extending boom 62 thereon, one end of which boom has a trolley 64 which has a hook 66 associated therewith to engage support ropes 59 of containerized cartridge 58.

The outwardly extending boom 62 has a plunger 68 of a fluid cylinder 72 pivotally connected thereto near one end thereof by a pivot pin 70, so, when fluid pressure is applied to cylinder 72, one end of which is pivotally connected to frame 16 by lugs 74, the boom 62 may be moved into an arc, as indicated in FIG. 1 in dashed outline and in full outline, which will enable the containerized cartridge 58 to be picked up from a position adjacent to the vehicle 10, as shown in dashed outline, FIG. 1, and moved in position as indicated in the full outline therein. The inclination of the boom will cause trolley 64 to move inward and come to rest with the containerized cartridge 58 centered over the flume or sleeve 34, whereupon, the neck 58A on the lower end of the containerized cartridge 58 will be directed into the conduit or sleeve 34. The tie on the container is released through a dispensing means such as a hole 35 in sleeve 34, so the flowable material will be discharged from the containerized cartridge 58 through the neck 58A, sleeve 34 onto the conveyor chain 22. With the containerized cartridge in this position, bands or bars 76 that are secured to the containerized cartridge frame 54 are passed around the cartridge and are secured in place by a fastening means 78 to secure the containerized cartridge 58 against lateral movement while moving over the terrain.

The sleeve or conduit 34, connected to a supply reservoir or container, is raised and lowered by levers 36, which levers are pivotally connected to upright lugs 37 and to sleeve 34 by pivot bolts. A further set of levers 36A is connected to upright lugs 37 and to the sleeve 34, as by bolts, so as to form a parallelogram, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, so that the lower end of the sleeve will be held in parallel relation with the upper face of the conveyor 22, to enable a flow of material to a uniform depth, onto conveyor chain 22 to enable the desired amount of granular or pulverulent material to be dispensed therefrom.

OPERATION With the containerized cartridge 58 in place and with the sleeve or flume 34 adjusted with respect to the upper surface of chain 22 by a movement of bifurcated adjusting levers 36, to bring the lower end of conduit 34 the desired distance above conveyor chain 22, the mobile dispenser unit is ready to be moved across the terrain. The conveyor chain 22 receives the flowable material from containerized cartridge 58 and dispenses the material onto the spreader disc 50, which spreader disc is rotated by the power takeoff drive shaft 44 from a source of power on the tractor or pickup.

A frame, generally designated by the numeral 80, is pivotally mounted on shaft 82, the same shaft on which sprockets 84 and 86 are mounted, so that, upon movement of the frame about the axis of shaft 82, chain 88, between sprocket 84 and sprocket 90, will remain at the same uniform tension, because the shaft 92, on which sprocket 90 is mounted, is mounted in journaled relation on frame 80 and moves therewith. The chain 94, which surrounds sprocket 86 and sprocket 96, will remain at the same uniform tension so as to drive the conveyor chain 22, which conveyor chain is driven by roller 26 on shaft 30.

A pneumatic friction tire 98 is mounted on a wheel 100, which wheel is secured to and rotates with shaft 92, when the tire 98 is engaged with one of the support wheels 12 of the mobile unit 10.

The frame 80 has a flexible line, such as a rope 102, connected to the end of the frame opposite shaft 82, which line extends over a pulley 104, so upon upward movement of the frame 80, which carries friction wheel 98, the frame will move out of engagement with tire 12 and will compress spring 106, which frame may be held in raised position, by a latch 108, against tension of spring 106 until released by movement of rope 110. The spring 106 will give sufficient pressure on frame 80 to cause the friction wheel 98 to engage wheel 12 so that the friction wheel 98 will drive through sprockets and chains 92, 88, 84, 86, 94 and 96 to drive shaft 30 which will drive the conveyor chain 22.

Elevating the beam 62 to raise or lower the containerized cartridge 58 has been indicated as being accomplished by a hydraulic cylinder-plunger assembly 68-72, however, it is to be understood that this is representative of means for raising and lowering the containerized cartridge, as this may be accomplished by other systems, such as a winch, either hand powered or motor driven.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, which mobile dispenser comprises;

a. a wheeled frame,

1. at least one of the wheels of said wheeled frame forming a prime mover, b. an upright standard mounted on said wheeled frame,

c. a container support means mounted near the upper end of said upright standard,

d. means attachably connecting a container to said container support means,

e. a sleeve mounted on said wheeled frame and being a spaced distance below said container support means,

f. conveyor means mounted on said wheeled frame, and being positioned below said sleeve to receive flowable material thereonto,

g. transmission means interconnecting said conveyor means in geared relation with said prime mover,

h. a rotatable distributor disc mountedon said wheeled frame near the discharge end of said conveyor means to receive the flowable material discharged from said conveyor thereonto,

i. control means to regulate the discharge of flowable material from said conveyor,

j. power means connected to said wheeled frame to move said wheeled frame over the terrain,

k. said upright standard forms a frame,

I. said container support means is movably mounted on said frame,

m. a container mounted on said container support means,

and 1. said container support means adapted to move said container into position to dispense material therefrom, when said container support means is in one position.

2. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, as defined in claim I; wherein a. said container support means is a beam,

1. said beam being pivotally mounted on said frame,

b. a fluid actuated cylinder mounted on said frame and being connected to one end of said pivotally mounted beam,

1. said beam having a trolley mounted on that portion thereof opposite the end to which said fluid actuated cylinder is attached,

2. said trolley being movable along a portion of said beam,

c. said means attachably connecting said container to said container support means being associated with said trolley,

1. said trolley is adapted to move to the distal end of said beam by gravity, when in one position, and to be elevated by said fluid actuated cylinder to a point above the horizontal, when in another position, so as to move said trolley inward along said beam by gravity, and

d. a source of fluid power to actuate said fluid actuated cylinder.

3. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, as defined in claim 1; wherein a. said upright standard forms a frame,

b. said container support means is relatively movable with respect to said frame,

1. a container attached to said container support means,

2. said container having a discharge opening formed in the lower end thereof, and

3. said movable container support means being adapted to move said container from one position to another position to enable said container to be loaded and moved to a position to discharge flowable material into said sleeve.

4. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, as defined in claim 1; wherein a. said wheeled frame is a towed vehicle,

b. a frame pivotally mounted on the frame of said towed vehicle,

1. a shaft journaled on said pivoted frame,

2. a friction wheel mounted on said shaft and being engageable, when in one position, with one of the wheels of said towed vehicle,

3. restraining means holding said friction wheel, when in one position, out of engagement with the wheel of said towed vehicle,

4. resilient means urging said friction wheel into engage- 5 ment with the wheel of said towed vehicle, when said friction wheel is in another position,

c. said transmission means includes gearing means associated with said shaft to interconnect said friction wheel in geared, driven relation with said conveyor, when said friction wheel is engaged with one of the wheels of said wheeled frame which forms the prime mover.

5. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, as defined in claim 1; wherein a. said upright standard comprises at least two sections, one

of which sections is adapted to extend upward above the other of said sections,

1. interlocking means between said sections to hold one of said sections extended above the other of said sections.

6. A mobile dispenser for flowable material as defined in claim 2; wherein a. said upright frame is tubular,

l. which frame comprises two sections, the upper section being adapted to telescope into the lower section when in one position, and means securing said upper section in extended relation when in another position.

7. A mobile dispenser for flowable material as defined in claim 3; wherein a. said wheeled frame has a hopper mounted thereon to confine flowable material therein,

1. said conveyor means being disposed in the lower portion of said hopper,

- b. the discharge opening of said container adapted to discharge flowable material into said sleeve,

c. said mounting of said sleeve on said wheeled frame includes a pair of bars pivotally connected to said hopper,

d. pivot means associated with said sleeve and said bars to enable said sleeve to be raised and lowered,

e. latch means associated with at least one of said bars to support the lower end of said sleeve a space distance above said conveyor means, so as to regulate the flow of material from said sleeve onto said conveyor means.

8. A mobile dispenser for flowable material as defined in claim 4; wherein a. said towed vehicle is connected in trailed relation with a traction element,

b. power take-off means on the traction element,

c. said rotatable distributor disc mounted on said wheeled frame for rotation about an upright axis, and

cl. drive means associated with said rotatable distributor disc and being connected in drive relation with the power take-off of the traction element.

9. A mobile dispenser for flowable material as defined in claim 3; wherein a. said wheeled frame has a hopper mounted thereon to confine flowable material therein,

b. rollers joumaled near each end of said hopper,

c. said conveyor means being an endless conveyor operatively mounted on said rollers for movement in the lower portion of said hopper,

d. the discharge opening of said container adapted to discharge flowable material into said sleeve,

e. said mounting of said sleeve on said wheeled frame includes a pair of bars pivotally connected to said hopper,

f. pivot means associated with said sleeve and said bars to enable said sleeve to be raised and lowered, and

g. latch means associated with at least one of said bars to support the lower end of said sleeve a spaced distance above said conveyor means so as to regulate the flow of material from said sleeve onto said endless conveyor means.

10. A mobile dispenser for flowable material as defined in claim 9; wherein a. said endless conveyor means is an open, meshlike chain.

11. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, which flowable dispenser comprises;

a. a wheeled frame,

b. an upright standard mounted on said wheeled frame,

c. a container support means mounted near the upper end of said upright standard,

1. a non-metallic supply container for containing dry flowable material,

d. means attachably connecting a non-metallic supply container to said container support means,

e. conduit means mounted on said wheeled frame and being below said non-metallic supply container on said container support means,

f. dispensing means mounted on said wheeled frame to 

1. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, which mobile dispenser comprises; a. a wheeled frame,
 1. at least one of the wheels of said wheeled frame forming a prime mover, b. an upright standard mounted on said wheeled frame, c. a container support means mounted near the upper end of said upright standard, d. means attachably connecting a container to said container support means, e. a sleeve mounted on said wheeled frame and being a spaced distance below said container support means, f. conveyor means mounted on said wheeled frame, and being positioned below said sleeve to receive flowable material thereonto, g. transmission means interconnecting said conveyor means in geared relation with said prime mover, h. a rotatable distributor disc mounted on said wheeled frame near the discharge end of said conveyor means to receive the flowable material discharged from said conveyor thereonto, i. control means to regulate the discharge of flowable material from said conveyor, j. power means connected to said wheeled frame to move said wheeled frame over the terrain, k. said upright standard forms a frame, l. said container support means is movably mounted on said frame, m. a container mounted on said container support means, and
 1. said container support means adapted to move said container into position to dispense material therefrom, when said container support means is in one position.
 2. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, as defined in claim 1; wherein a. said container support means is a beam,
 2. said trolley being movable along a portion of said beam, c. said means attachably connecting said container to said container support means being associated with said trolley,
 2. said container having a discharge opening formed in the lower end thereof, and
 2. a friction wheel mounted on said shaft and being engageable, when in one position, with one of the wheels of said towed vehicle,
 3. restraining means holding said friction wheel, when in one position, out of engagement with the wheel of said towed vehicle,
 3. said movable container support means being adapted to move said container from one position to another position to enable said container to be loaded and moved to a position to discharge flowable material into said sleeve.
 3. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, as defined in claim 1; wherein a. said upright standard forms a frame, b. said container support means is relatively movable with respect to said frame,
 4. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, as defined in claim 1; wherein a. said wheeled frame is a towed vehicle, b. a frame pivotally mounted on the frame of said towed vehicle,
 4. resilient means urging said friction wheel into engagement with the wheel of said towed vehicle, when said friction wheel is in another position, c. said transmission means includes gearing means associated with said shaft to interconnect said friction wheel in geared, driven relation with said conveyor, when said friction wheel is engaged with one of the wheels of said wheeled frame which forms the prime mover.
 5. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, as defined in claim 1; wherein a. said upright standard comprises at least two sections, one of which sections is adapted to extend upward above the other of said sections,
 6. A mobile dispenser for flowable material as defined in claim 2; wherein a. said upright frame is tubular,
 7. A mobile dispenser for flowable material as defined in claim 3; wherein a. said wheeled frame has a hopper mounted thereon to confine flowable material therein,
 8. A mobile dispenser for flowable material as defined in claim 4; wherein a. said towed vehicle is connected in trailed relation with a traction element, b. power take-off means on the traction element, c. said rotatable distributor disc mounted on said wheeled frame for rotation about an upright axis, and d. drive means associated with said rotatable distributor disc and being connected in drive relation with the power take-off of the traction element.
 9. A mobile dispenser for flowable material as defined in claim 3; wherein a. said wheeled frame has a hopper mounted thereon to confine flowable material therein, b. rollers journaled near each end of said hopper, c. said conveyor means being an endless conveyor operatively mounted on said rollers for movement in the lower portion of said hopper, d. the discharge opening of said container adapted to discharge flowable material into said sleeve, e. said mounting of said sleeve on said wheeled frame includes a pair of bars pivotally connected to said hopper, f. pivot means associated with said sleeve and said bars to enable said sleeve to be raised and lowered, and g. latch means associated with at least one of said bars to support the lower end of said sleeve a spaced distance above said conveyor means so as to regulate the flow of material from said sleeve onto said endless conveyor means.
 10. A mobile dispenser for flowable material as defined in claim 9; wherein a. said endless conveyor means is an open, meshlike chain.
 11. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, which flowable dispenser comprises; a. a wheeled frame, b. an upright standard mounted on said wheeled frame, c. a container support means mounted near the upper end of said upright standard,
 12. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, as defined in claim 11; wherein a. hoist means mounted on said wheeled frame to hoist the non-metallic supply container to a position above said conduit means.
 13. A mobile dispenser for flowable material, as defined in claim 12; wherein a. said hoist means is a hydraulic cylinder. 